New York Times Has Water High on Its Agenda

It popped into my Google Alert on Saturday afternoon: "Toxic Waters" by the New York Times. Interest piqued. I went on to read the series, and the depth and detail of the data belie how water has wandered into the paper's cross hairs. Here are just some of the Gray Lady's observations:

- 1 in 10 Americans drink contaminated water

- Well water is more at risk than municipal-provided water. (This is a point I can't urge strongly enough. Some state DNRs think less than 10% of people actually test their wells.)

- An estimated 19.5 million Americans "fall ill" every year to contaminated water.

These are just the latest in a series of stories about the water quality in the US, and people have taken notice. Atrazine was one of the big targets a few weeks ago, which quickly prompted a strong reaction from local, state and federal authorities all over the country.

Remember, the data above is just a sampling of the investigation, and I encourage everyone to do their research into their area's water history and issues.